By Peggy Sue McRae, Journal contributor

You may have heard the phrase, “Old age is not for sissies.” Looking forward to impending heart surgery, the phrase hits home. I have a faulty aortic valve – technically “aortic valve stenosis,” not entirely unusual in people over 70. This includes rock icon Mick Jagger who, I’m happy to say, has since resumed being a rock star.

When my cardiologist first explained the function of my heart’s valves to me, he described the function of valves through which blood exits from the heart as being like Old West Saloon doors that swing open and shut. Over time, he explained, what can happen is a buildup of deposits can give those saloon doors “rusty hinges” compromising the function of the valve. When this happens the heart is working harder but less efficiently.

For me, the first indications that something wasn’t right were puffy legs, swollen feet and shortness of breath. With my heart not functioning at full capacity, fluids were backing up into my system. With excess fluid in my lungs, I can’t walk very far without running out of breath, and for me, this has been the most impactful challenge. Dizziness, rapid heartbeat or pain in your chest, neck, jaw, shoulders, arms or back are other possible symptoms but some people have no symptoms at all. If you are in your 70s it is a good idea to get screened for heart disease.

Initially, we thought I had a mild case, and I was happy because I was given simple things I could do at home to improve my situation. Who wouldn’t want to eat more salmon? One thing I continue to do daily is “vacuuming my arteries,” which involves moving large limbs (arms and/or legs) for a sustained 20-30 minutes. With a playlist of favorite music videos to move my arms and legs to, this remains a favorite part of my day.

It was a recent echocardiogram that revealed my case of aortic valve stenosis had reached the “severe” stage. The cardiologist comes to the island once a month. I had a chest scan and echocardiogram done here at PeaceHealth in Friday Harbor. The next steps in this adventure took me to Bellingham for more tests, scans and consultations. They even gave me a cognitive test. I was feeling pretty smart about it until they asked me to count backward by sevens.

The next step, again in Bellingham, is a procedure that will determine what form of heart surgery I will undergo. They will go in through either my arm or my groin and send a camera up through my artery to see if the coast is clear, possibly do some repair work, and then check out my compromised heart valve. This will determine if they can use a similar method to place a catheter in my faulty valve or if they will have to do open heart surgery and replace the valve. Open-heart surgery is a much bigger deal so I’m hoping for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

TO BE CONTINUED…